Randall Munroe, the cartoonist behind the popular Internet comic xkcd, finds complicated solutions to simple, real-world problems. In the process, he reveals a lot about science and why the real world is sometimes even weirder than we expect. His latest book is called How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems. (Encore episode.)
Here's more on nuclear tests of bottled beverages from nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein.
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NBN Book of the Day - Michael Walzer, “A Foreign Policy for the Left” (Yale UP, 2018)
In my old age, I try to argue more quietly, though I still believe that sharp disagreement is a sign of political seriousness. What engaged citizens think and say matters; we should aim to get it right and to defeat those who get it wrong. I understand the very limited impact of what I write, but I continue to believe that the stakes are high.
– Michael Walzer (2018)
These thoughts, from the preface of A Foreign Policy for the Left (Yale University Press, 2018), reflect the understated wisdom of a highly regarded 85-year old political theorist, Michael Walzer. His many books include the influential Just and Unjust Wars, and others mentioned in this interview including: Thick and Thin – Moral Argument at Home and Abroad, Spheres of Justice – A Defense of Pluralism and Equality, and Obligations: Essays on Disobedience, War and Citizenship – the last one being published in 1970 at the height of the divisive Vietnam War era when Walzer was teaching at Harvard.
Much of the material for Michael’s books derives from his long affiliation with Dissent magazine – he apprenticed as a young leftist partisan under the prolific Irving Howe whose writing, social role and politics helped shape the young Walzer. Evidence of Michael’s current and ongoing political engagement, as well as the clarity of his thought and seriousness of his message can be seen here: ‘A Note on Racial Capitalism’ from Dissent in July 2020. In his note Michael references K. Sabeel Rahman’s Dissent article ‘Dismantle Racial Capitalism’ in his first paragraph; a month later two scholars write ‘A Reply to Michael Walzer’ from which comes: ‘A Reply to Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò and Liam Kofi Bright’.
Professor Walzer published his first Dissent article in 1956 which provides some timeline context for one of the first questions in this interview about whether the Hiss-Chambers testimonies before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (1948) might represent the opening confrontation of our polarizing culture wars. As you will hear, Michael thinks it could date back further; and shares a few thoughts on teaching at Harvard in the sixties, and pivotal moments in his career as a young leftist partisan. He comments about scholars like Rawls, Nozick and Geertz; and offers opinions related to our current polarization including a recent Rolling Stone article, the origins of resentment, engaged citizenship and voting, 9/11 and its aftermath, justice, ‘complex equality’, ‘formative’ books and a poet.
An overview of Michael’s life and work, Justice is Steady Work – A Conversation on Political Theory (Polity Press 2020) with Astrid von Busekist at SciencesPo (originally published in French) out soon.
Michael Walzer is professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and editor emeritus at Dissent magazine. Professor Walzer studied on a Fulbright Fellowship at Cambridge and completed his PhD in government at Harvard University.
Keith Krueger lectures at the SHU-UTS Business School in Shanghai.
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Motley Fool Money - The #1 Mistake Small Businesses Make
The overwhelming majority of small businesses in America are one-person operations. Unfortunately, there are aspects to running a business that even prepared minds don’t think of. Laura Adams, personal finance expert and author of Money-Smart Solopreneur: A Personal Finance System for Freelancers, Entrepreneurs, and Side-Hustlers, shares the most common mistake people make when starting a new business.
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What A Day - Stuck In The Meddle With GRU
In the final two weeks before November 3rd, Trump has been criticizing his own public health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci. Meanwhile, Biden and Harris have been defending scientists and their role in public policy.
Federal prosecutors charged six men for some of the biggest, most notorious hacks in recent years, including the 2018 Winter Olympics hack and a 2017 hack on Ukraine. The hackers are all members of the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU, which was also linked to election interference in the 2016 election.
And in headlines: Carlos Mesa poised to win the Bolivian election, Trump will remove Sudan from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, and a 2,000 year old cat carving in Peru.
Show Links:
"The Untold Story of the 2018 Olympics Cyberattack, the Most Deceptive Hack in History" https://www.wired.com/story/untold-story-2018-olympics-destroyer-cyberattack/
The Daily Signal - What This Leading Conservative Has to Say About Social Media’s Censorship
Today on The Daily Signal Podcast, Rob Bluey, executive editor of The Daily Signal, speaks with Brent Bozell, founder and president of the Media Research Center, the largest media watchdog in America. They discuss the latest news regarding media censorship, including the suppression by Twitter and Facebook of a New York Post article reporting the contents of the hard drive of a laptop the newspaper alleges belonged to Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden.
We also cover these stories:
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin talk by phone about another COVID-19 relief package for Americans.
- The Supreme Court says it will hear a case on whether military funding may be used to pay for building President Trump’s wall along the border with Mexico, and whether those claiming asylum in the U.S. must stay in Mexico pending resolution of their requests.
- The Canadian border will remain closed to Americans for at least another month.
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How To Citizen with Baratunde - Making Our Votes Count (with Sherrilyn Ifill)
Baratunde speaks with Sherrilyn Ifill, the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund about the very long history of voter suppression, why it still exists (hint: white supremacy and racism), and the current tactics being deployed for the 2020 election.
Show Notes + Links
We are grateful to Sherrilyn Ifill for joining us.
Follow her at @Sifill_LDF and @NAACP_LDF on Twitter. You can learn more about the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund at https://www.naacpldf.org/.
We will post this episode, a transcript, show notes and more at howtocitizen.com.
Please show your support for the show in the form of a review and rating. It makes a huge difference with the algorithmic overlords!
HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW. ACTIONS FOR THIS EPISODE.
INTERNAL ACTIONS
Become educated on the systems of oppression so you know the roots and how to fight back.
Two good books to start with for a comprehensive take.
- Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X Kendi
- Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B Wells
You can buy these books and support local bookstores using our show’s bookshop.org link https://bookshop.org/shop/howtocitizen
Understand the Voting Rights Act and how the Shelby decision changed everything.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/how-shelby-county-broke-america/564707/
Make your voting plan.
Visit www.morethanavote.org to make your voting plan. This is the organization that LeBron James helped start, and they’ve partnered with a number of groups including Sherrilyn and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Also visit https://votesaveamerica.com/plan/ the newly released tool from Vote Save America to get ready with a sample ballot for your area to plan your voting so you can be EFFICIENT at the voting booth.
EXTERNAL ACTIONS
Find out the EXACT requirements of mail-in or absentee ballots in your state and share them so every vote is counted.
The requirements and directions for voting by mail differ by state. Some require signatures by a witness on the outside of the envelope along with the witness’s address and your signature. Some require using two envelopes when mailing them back. Get the details from a trusted source or from the ballot itself and remind people to triple check these details!
Be a democracy team captain.
Take the lead in making sure at least three people you know vote. Follow up with them often until they have voted. Ask each one to do the same!
Compile key information about voting and vote by mail for your state. Then simplify the directions for those you are taking responsibility for, and share resources with them. Here are two comprehensive and easy to understand sites summarizing the steps for each state:
Finally, offer to provide a witness signature for the mail-in ballot envelope if that’s required, or offer to deliver their ballot to the drop-off location if they are unable to do so themselves.
Support the polls.
Bring water, masks, gloves, umbrellas, and other supplies to share with people waiting in long lines to support the polls. If you’re an artist, consider bringing your talents to the public as people wait in line. They will love you for it.
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If you take any of these actions, share that with us - action@howtocitizen.com. Mention Making Our Vote Count in the subject line. Also share your citizening on social media using #howtocitizen.
We love feedback from our listeners - comments@howtocitizen.com.
Visit Baratunde's website to sign up for his newsletter to learn about upcoming guests, live tapings, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.
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array(3) { [0]=> string(150) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/programs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/02a74f24-92a4-4d6f-a2cb-ae27017c4772/image.jpg?t=1684961491&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }Read Me a Poem - “Sonnet” by Elizabeth Bishop
Amanda Holmes reads Elizabeth Bishops’s last poem, “Sonnet.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.
This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
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The Stack Overflow Podcast - Making Kubernetes work like it’s 1999 with Kelsey Hightower
You can find Kelsey on Twitter here. His Github is here. His personal journey with Kubernetes is detailed in a nice piece here.
Kelsey has an interesting role at Google. He sits at the director level but is an independent contributor with no direct reports. Instead he works to help galvanize interest in particular tools and topics, driving adoption at a broad scale.
No Compromise - A One-Man Propaganda Band
In Episode 6: A battle for the GOP in Idaho. Plus: "confrontational politics." What it is and how the Dorr brothers are popularizing it. And an unexpected update about the Dorr family.
Opening Arguments - OA431: Here’s How We Can Still Save the Census
The Trump administration was given a victory in the courts regarding the census. It's absolutely bad news, but Andrew has a plan for that! Ok, ok, it was Elizabeth Warren's plan, but Andrew breaks it down for us! It's a one weird trick that actually will work, assuming that we win in November. Before that, we've got yet another Mazars update. It's going exactly how Andrew told us it would go, and that's... not great but also not bad.
Links: Trump v Mazars application for stay, US v R Enterprises porn case again, Ross v. National Urban League, Warren's Census plan, 13 US Code § 141 - Population and other census information, Mid-Decade Census, 2015 Census.